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Craig Breslow

10/09/2013

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Their lineup led the majors in runs scored, the defense was second in defensive efficiency and their starters were experienced and dependable.

If the team was vulnerable, the thinking went, it was in its set-up relief. Closer Koji Uehara wasn't a problem, but getting to him could be one.

So much for conventional wisdom.

The bullpen combined for 11 innings over the course of four games and allowed just two runs. One of those runs, improbably, was given up by Uehara, previously viewed as virtually unhittable.

And in the Game 4 clincher on Tuesday night, the relief was almost perfect: Craig Breslow, Junichi Tazawa and Uehara combined for 3 1/3 innings and allowed exactly one baserunner -- and that came on an infield hit.

The bullpen would be the Sox weakness? That theory just got blown up. Craig Breslow has been incredibly underrated throughout the year proved that he could be as dominant against right handed batters as he is against lefties. He did receive some help from David Ross framing everything on the lower left side of the plate, but he's significantly better against rightys. They're batting .208 this year while lefties are batting .253. He's can come in for the lefty-lefty matchup and actually pitch to more than one batter. He's taking over the spot that Koji was pegged for at the beginning of the year.

Speaking of Koji, man was it a relief to see him go perfect for the last four outs. He's been incredibly filthy over the past year but he's had some problems in the playoffs. I've been riding the Koji high-five bandwagon since we signed him but I knew this was an issue. With the way he's pitched he's earned a pass on the Lobaton home run, but he needed to close out last night and hopefully he exorcised some demons.

Now the Sox move on to the ALCS and look pretty damn good. Whoever comes out of the other ALDS have a tall task at hand. The bullpen flexed their muscle and reminds us that this is a complete team. One capable of winning it all.

08/15/2013

NESN broadcaster Don Orsillo pronounces the last name of
Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista like this: BOW-teesta. Every other
broadcaster I’ve heard in baseball pronounces it like this: BAW-teesta.

Does that annoy anyone else? No? Just me, huh?

OK, then. On to the recap …

The finale of a 10-game road swing ended in another defeat
for the Boston Red Sox. If you’re counting, that’s the sixth loss on the trip.

Thursday night in Toronto, the Sox dropped the rubber game
of a three-game series to the Blue Jays. The game featured a compelling
pitcher’s duel between two former White Sox teammates in the Blue Jays’ Mark
Buehrle and Jake Peavy of the Red Sox.

And a pitcher’s duel it was. Neither team was able to muster
much on the offensive side of things. The one run the Red Sox managed to plate
was the result of a botched throw to second base by Munenori Kawasaki of the
Jays, a play that allowed serial overachiever Daniel Nava to score from third
in the fourth inning.

The Blue Jays scored their runs following an error in the
seventh inning by Prodigal Third Baseman Will Middlebrooks in the seventh.

Both Blue Jays runs were charged to Peavy, though Craig Breslow
allowed the second run to score.

But the Red Sox had chances throughout the game.

Dustin Pedroia was thrown out at home plate in the first
after Jonny Gomes singled to centerfield. The bases were loaded in the second
inning when Shane Victorino flied to right for the third out. Stephen Drew
struck out to end a threat in the third – Pedroia had been at third base.

(sigh)

So, the Sox finish the road trip with a 4-6 record. The team
had begun the night three games up on the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. The
Rays, with a win Thursday over the hapless Seattle Mariners, moved to within
two games of the Red Sox.

(If you listen closely, you can hear the sound of all 14
Rays fans cheering).

A blemish on the skin of an otherwise lovely season ends in
Toronto. Tomorrow night, the Evil Empire darkens the Fenway Park doorstep for
the start of a three-game tilt.

01/20/2013

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning afternoon dump.

According to multiple reports, the Red Sox reached an agreement (pending a physical) with left-hander Craig Breslow
on a two-year deal that includes an option for a third year. Breslow,
who was eligible for salary arbitration in 2013 — his final year under
team control before reaching free agency, receives a guaranteed $6.25
million with the chance to earn as much as $10.15 million over three
years, according to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, who first reported the
deal (via twitter).

Breslow, 32, was re-acquired by the Sox at the trade deadline in a trade that sent right-hander Matt Albers and outfielder Scott Podsednik
to the Diamondbacks. The left-hander had a 2.70 ERA, 19 strikeouts and
nine walks in 23 games (20 innings) with the Sox, continuing a strong
five-year run in the big leagues that commenced in 2008, when the
Indians claimed him off waivers from the Sox. In that time, he’s gone
15-15 with a 3.01 ERA while striking out 7.7 batters per nine innings
and walking 3.4 batters per nine.

Yeah, that guy with the pretty left hand is going to be in Boston for a few more years. Eat your heart out Rex Ryan. Actually, he doesn't give a damn.

Breslow is a good choice for a middle reliever and even a set-up guy if needed. Breslow is not an over-powering pitcher and will not get the "ooo's" and "ahhhh's" as a Daniel Bard of 2011. Craig Breslow is someone that will likely give you consistency, resulting in holds.

The deal seems to be reasonable and will probably not result in any dislike from Red Sox fans. Odds are, some or many Red Sox fans didn't remember that Breslow is a member for the Red Sox.

The most important thing about the signing is the Red Sox have taken care of all the arbitration eligible players. As Aaron said yesterday, arbitration is boring and stupid, and I am glad we won't have anything dragging on as we had last year.

01/19/2013

This image from duhaime.org is way cooler than any of these one-year deals

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

The Red Sox reached agreements with all but one of their arbitration eligible players today.

On the heels of agreements with catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia ($4.5 million on Thursday) and Jacoby Ellsbury ($9 million earlier today), the Sox also avoided arbitration with the following:

Right-hander Alfredo Aceves ($2.65 million)

Right-hander Andrew Bailey ($4.1 million)

Right-hander Daniel Bard ($1.8625 million)

Right-hander Joel Hanrahan ($7.04 million)

Left-hander Andrew Miller ($1.475 million)

Left-hander Franklin Morales ($1.4875 million)

That leaves only left-hander Craig Breslow,
who filed at $2.375 million, while the Sox countered at $2.325 million.
That's only a difference of $50,000, which means the Sox are all but
guaranteed of maintaining their streak of avoiding arbitration hearings.
Their last hearing came in 2002, when they beat Rolando Arrojo.

I was never one to get myself worked up over arbitration. I know that some people are highly interested it in, but not me. It lets baseball grab a headline or two in the middle of winter, but that's about it. The whole 'drama' around it is absurd.

Will the Red Sox have to pay Craig Breslow the extra $50,000 he's asking? Can they sort it out before someone else makes the decision for them? Stay tuned!

*Yawn*

And the Sox streak of avoiding arbitration is just as silly. I could rattle off five made-up reasons why it matters, but that would all be nonsense. The Sox and their players are able to come to mutually-agreeable terms on their own, without someone forcing them to. That's all it means. No reason to hold a parade.

Arbitration is one of those things that makes baseball 'unique' in the American sports landscape. It's also stupid. But with the way baseball is set-up, there's probably not a better way. At least not for players whose talent and production elevate quickly. Slightly imperfect, but very fair.

Next year, around the same time, we'll do this same dance. We'll applaud the Red Sox for avoiding hearings. We'll be taken aback that player X got a million dollar raise. And then we'll go back to our regular lives, because those guys who are arbitration-eligible were always going to be playing for the Sox the following year anyway. Regardless of any of this.